Michigan, OSU address running back mystery

Bevy of candidates emerge early for backfield jobs

COLUMBUS — Devin Smith moved to pull himself out of his mangled car when, suddenly, it all went black. It was 8:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning in June, and the Ohio State receiver’s preparation for his senior season had just taken a chilling detour. Returning home from a friend’s house in Canton, Smith’s car wandered off the road, flipped, and struck a utility pole, according to the Canton Repository. Smith simply lost control. (The traffic report stated alcohol was suspected as a factor in the crash, but Smith said he “probably had one drink” hours earlier. He tested under the legal limit.)

ANN ARBOR — Brady Hoke created a certain hierarchy when he announced the progress of the Michigan football team’s young running backs. He may also have shed some light on what the offensive backfield could look like when the Wolverines open the season Aug. 30 against Appalachian State. "Right now, it would be Drake Johnson and De'Veon [Smith]," Hoke, the fourth-year coach, said Sunday at Michigan’s media day. "So, you've got a No. 1 and No. 1-A, and then you've got a No. 2 with Derrick [Green]."